The Warriors (13-8 overall) completed a remarkable comeback over the Ducks (11-8 overall), who had been ranked as high as 19th in the NWCA Division III poll this year, as they posted wins in the final two bouts to finish the bout with six wins.
With Maher leading 10-4 as the third period wound down in the final bout and Lycoming holding an 18-15 lead, Maher made the decision to allow Christine to escape and work for a takedown and earn the riding time point to earn a major decision and clinch the bout for the Ducks.
However, as the pair moved to the left corner of the mat and the clock moved under 30 seconds, Maher took a shot and didn't get in deep enough. Christine, who had been taken down twice already in the period, however rolled into a cement mixer when back in the neutral position, putting Maher on his back and quickly securing the pin.
In the 197-pound match, freshman Skylar Ebner (Muncy, Pa./Muncy) came up huge for the Warriors after Stevens took a 15-12 lead thanks to nine points in the 174- and 184-pound bouts. Ebner got in with a headlock halfway through the period and worked Doug Medrano into putting both shoulders on the mat over the next 20 seconds, securing his 10th pin of the season at the 2:10 mark.
After a dropping a decision in the 125-pound match, the Warriors rebounded with decisions at 133 and 141 pounds, as senior Zack Finn (East Rochester, N.Y./East Rochester) posted a 4-0 win over Dillon Guarino and junior Caleb Willey (Towanda, Pa./Towanda Area) dominated in a 5-2 win over Ricky Perrine.
At 149 pounds, fourth-ranked Michael Polizzi had to make a last period comeback to beat freshman Seth Lansberry (Klingerstown, Pa./Line Mountain), posting a 3-point near fall to edge out the Warrior rookie, 8-7, to retie the bout at six.
Freshman Nolan Barger (Clearfield, Pa./Clearfield) used takedowns in the first and second periods, though, to take a 6-4 decision from Leo Wortman at 157 pounds and junior Brian Watkins (Bear Gap, Pa./Southern Columbia) followed with a huge 3-2 win over Connor Bass, who entered the meet with a 20-7 record. Watkins used a first-period takedown to take control of the 165-pound match and give Lycoming a 12-6 lead. Stevens, however, used a pin at 174 and a decision at 184 to take a 15-12 lead, setting up Lycoming's final dramatics.
The Warriors get back on the mat when they start the postseason on Sunday, March 2, with the NCAA Mideast Regional at York College. The six-mat, one-day tournament will serve as the qualifier for the NCAA Division III Championships in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, on March 15-16, with the top three wrestlers in each weight class qualifying.
Results:
125 Rob Murray, SIOT, dec. Jake Witmer, LYCO, 5-0
133 Zachary Finn, LYCO, dec. Dillon Guarino, SIOT, 4-0
141 Caleb Willey, LYCO, dec. Ricky Perrine, SIOT, 5-2
149 Michael Polizzi, SIOT, dec. Seth Lansberry, LYCO, 8-7
157 Nolan Barger, LYCO, dec. Leo Wortman, SIOT, 6-4
165 Brian Watkins, LYCO, dec. Connor Bass, SIOT, 3-2
174 Zachary Bass, SIOT, pinned Matthew Neff, LYCO, 2:15
184 Ryan Dormann, SIOT, dec. Greg Wetzel, LYCO, 3-1
197 Skylar Ebner, LYCO, pinned Doug Medrano, SIOT, 2:10
285 Nikolas Christine, LYCO, pinned Tyler Maher, SIOT, 6:45
Exhibition Results:
149 Tommy Flynn (LC) dec. Justin Baker, 12-5
165 Colin Navickas (SIT) fall Christian Felstedt, 2:38
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